A (Web3) Super Star In The Making?
Blog Post Written by Ayee G. for ADAM 4 Artists
It's 1:00am on an east coast Tuesday. Actually it's the day before 4/20 and it's the first free window of opportunity we've found, since Monday, to connect one on one with the subject of this latest ADAM Blog. It's safe to say that it's because Jadyn Violet is one active a** artist. Between recording, mixing & mastering super dope music, building and catering to an actively growing community, preparing for an inaugural NFT NYC rave (that he's spearheading), and constantly collaborating with other artists, it's amazing that the brother finds time to sleep!
Thankfully we were able to catch him, albeit at the same time that the owls hang out, for an extremely well spent hour of chill dialog, honest reflection and forward thinking introspection. The dialog revolved around his personal journey to this point in space & time, his thoughts on building a music community, and what it will take for him to achieve his own respectably aggressive goals!
A4A So, first of all, welcome Jadyn, this is really an amazing opportunity to pick your brain and do it on behalf of the many people out there that wish they had access to you to ask you direct questions. We'll skip all the questions like, "How did you come up with your name", and stuff like that, because you've done a lot of interviews where you've already done that, and we'll just get right to the meat and potatoes, and start out with a very simple early question, which is, how did you get into this Web3 space?
JV Yeah, so first of all, it's crazy that it's 4/19, that means tomorrow's 4/20. Man, how I got into this space? I had the opportunity to be early in many things in my life. And, you know, like we talked about before, when you're early to something, that's when you have the most and the greatest ability to reach a lot of people. I was early to YouTube. I was early to TikTok. I was early when it changed from Musical.ly into TikTok, and if I was posting four or five times a day, who knows what audience I would have really curated. The organic reach back then was absolutely insane.
I actually even had an opportunity to mint a Bored Ape, when I was first hearing about NFT's in early 2020. And then when they minted, in May, I was literally looking at my laptop, ready to mint one for around $800 to $1,000, but my wallet was just not connecting. I had problems with my bank account, and it just didn't work and I was getting frustrated and I shrugged it off.
So I missed many opportunities when it came to being early at things, even NFT's, you know? Seeing the difference and seeing how the floor just quickly rose. I just didn't take the necessary time to put my hours in at researching something new, and really executing, which I think is a super big deal. So fast forward to around December 2021, and a blessing in disguise, I got COVID and I was locked in my room for 10 days with nothing to do. But I saw this idea. I'd seen this word, "Web3", really circulating the internet across all of 2021. So I decided, it's finally time to actually just not be lazy and put the time into to learn about this crazy unknown space.
I realized the potential of it. I knew that it was going to be a commitment, and I knew it was going to take a lot of time. But I just went 100%, and have, literally, every single day since then. Not only my music, but in this new web three space.
A4A Thank you for that Jadyn, because you said a lot that was so insightful. To recognize the things that you missed out on is a very powerful skill. A lot of people don't even have that sense of reflection. And so that speaks loudly to why you're doing what you're doing now. And so, from there, what was the next thing that you decided you needed to do, in order to not miss out again?
JV As an artists in Web2 who has been making music for five or six years, I couldn't compare to some of these other people in the space who have been making music for 10 to 15 years, and found success. I had very slight peaks and spikes, but at the end of the day, nothing very sustainable was reached. But now, to have gained some sort of community, some accomplishments in Web3, I'm super grateful for that.
I think it was my ability to learn and focus on why I wasn't having any success in Web2. Rather than repeating the same patterns that had been implemented within my Web2 techniques, I just really observed myself and the way I moved, and I was just thinking on a basis of, "Why did I not reach where I wanted to go?" And there's many things that really go into that. But I just focused on using myself as a case study of what to search for, what not to do, and work hard to become the person who's accomplishing things in Web3, if that makes sense?
A4A It makes perfect sense. What were some of the things you observed you weren't doing? Or what were some of the things you decided to do?
JV I think the main thing that really switched up the way I moved is my ability to network. My idea of networking completely changed. We're talking about Web2, Web3 and even in real life. How I connected with people, is completely different when it came to Web3.
Never before in Web2, even if I saw a dope artist, even if I really fuck with them, and they fire 🔥 emoji'd my post, I would follow them, they might follow me. I would post on my story, they post on theirs, but I would never get on a call with them. Never.
The way I move and like the way I connect with people, it's way deeper than just a surface level conversation now. I now see people as actual humans who have actual aspirations. Forget dreams... people who have actual lives and stories they can talk about. Just honing in on that and finding things that we relate through. That aspect allowed me to build and allowed me to make, not even networking connections, but friendships. Crazy friendships to a point where people can be like, "Yo, you can come over to my state and sleep on my couch", which is like, literally blowing my mind, you know?!
A4A I really feel that, that's such a good response. It's so real. Why do you feel that many people don't have the ability to do that?
JV I feel like as people we are chasing short term satisfaction, and like to see numbers. We are very numbers oriented. People want to see those crazy tweet sales and want to see sellouts. They want to see a three ETH sale, five ETH sale, and that's cool. You can make $50,000. You can make $20,000, in one month. That's dope, but it's like, why not make 100 in the first month and $300,000 in the year or like four years down the line?
Something else I'm always thinking, "What can I do for you? How can I provide you value", and obviously you know, there's a lot of people who say they think like that. Even me for five or six years in Web2, I always thought, "Okay, I'm coming from a standpoint of what value can I bring to you?" But was I ever really bringing anyone true value to a point where it's like, they really appreciate that? And the answer is no. So it's like when entering the Web3 space, the only thing I focused on was, how could I provide the other person value without expecting anything in return? And literally just doing that endlessly?
A4A That dovetails completely into the next question that I want to ask you Jadyn. In terms of your first project, let's just talk about before it actually went live. Please share what that looked like for you. Feel free to talk about it from any angle that you find value. For example, before you dropped your Genesis project, what went through your mind, and how did it all come together?
JV Man, it was, first of all, very stressful, very sad that I had to sacrifice making music for those five days to a week, right before my actual drop party. But it was needed, you know? It was needed in order to ensure the main thing that was the most important for this drop, and that was the execution. I just wanted to make sure that execution was on point, the rollout was on point, everything led to another thing, and everything just made sense & fit together like a puzzle. And I just feel like that was what was the most important about dropping this project.
Because what I was most worried about was that the message, and the impact that I'm trying to implement into the community was not going to be achieved, or not going to be received well. And the worst thing that could happen is that you have a community, a crazy impactful idea, and you release it, and no one sees it. I guess that's what I was most worried about. Because I didn't want to end up being like, "Yo, I have this thing over here", but then no one's really noticing it, then do I really have a thing? Or do I just have something that is lost in the sauce?
A4A Facts. So the day your genesis NFT drops, we're all in the Twitter Space for your drop party. I think at the height you had over 150 people in the room. What was going through your head?
JV I'm so glad that the drop party was recorded, because I feel like that is one of those moments in time that when I'm 50 years old, I can look back at that and just be like, "Damn, it was just super special for me as a human type shit, to see that come together". I did not expect it truly at all. I'm just very foreign to support, because I never got that myself. So just seeing people come together like a community, and support, I was just mind blown. And like, I am fully grateful for that shit, because it's rare and amazing.
A4A You think about it, many people in that room, for your drop, didn't cop the token. But yet they were still there, in that space, lending their positive energy and vibes to the room. So it's just an amazing thing to see how you gathered that audience. I know you touched on it already, but when you think about building a community, because I think this is a question a lot of people have, and is the one that I think stumps the most people, what do you think you have contributed, or have done, that allowed you to have such an amazing level of support? Outside of what you've already touched on.
JV Dude, it's weird. It's really weird. Because the answer to that is based on the people that I have conversations with and supporters. And that is just being genuine. I feel like me being a completely genuine person, and coming from a very, very kind hearted place is the reason why so many people showed up. And it's crazy, because it completely contradicts my career in Web2. Because that is literally what I laid my foundation on. That is literally how I moved every single day in Web2, whether it's Instagram, TikTok just off of being genuine and being nice alone. That's how I led interactions. But that got me nowhere. Like, I mean, nothing. And to see that be the main factor of why people are showing up for me now is crazy. And like, it's that's just beautiful for like, human fucking evolution.
A4A Wow, that is super dope! Let's move from before the project to the actual project itself. So you've met your goals, every last one of your goals. I think every single person got a chuckle out of part of your roadmap, which was to quit your job if you hit a certain target. But for me personally, I think it's one of the things that you did that was really, really powerful. You laid it all on the line, you were very honest about everything that you wanted to achieve as part of your project. And although a lot of people may say, "somebody else quitting their job isn't utility." I say BS, because everyone can relate to that, and everyone can appreciate that. There are people who said, I want to be part of this, to help this guy achieve his goal, because there's one more person out here winning. When you put quitting your job own as utility on your project, were you serious? Or was it something that you just kind of put on there to give it a little bit more of a humorous twist?
JV Um, so I guess I would say it's a couple of things. The first thing, it was as funny as fuck to me. Like, I already had cool utility, but I might as well just throw this in here. And because if I'm gonna put it in the white paper, I better execute on it. Also I'm having conversation with my mom, and explaining what I'm doing. Because ever since I joined this community, I've been in it every single day, whether it's Twitter spaces, phone calls, to a point where they would get mad at me for the time I spent on this. And I'm motivated by the fact that they didn't think it was gonna be worth it, and they think I'm wasting my time. They're like, "Get off your stupid Twitter spaces, you know what I'm saying?"
A lot of people have heard this before from their family. I was explaining to them like, "Yo, look, if I sell out this violet token drop, if I, you know, make $10,000 on it, I'm going to quit my job", because I know that the efforts I'm putting in here are yielding a result. I know I can do it type shit. I know that there's something here and that it's possible. Like, whoa! I really see my vision coming to life. So I really had to put that there for myself as like motivation to be like, "Yo, I'm gonna do this shit". And then I'm gonna show them I did this.
A4A That's real, that's crazy real. I want to switch gears just a little bit. Because you've obviously been through this journey, I'm gonna ask you to share some advice for the readers. Specifically, what are some things that you would say, are just simple keys to success? I think the thing that's really cool is, we're all so new in this space. Right? And this is your Genesis drop, your first drop, so it's not like you're 10 drops in and you've forgotten what it took to get here. What are three or four things or even two things that you would advise a new person coming into Web3, as an artist, to focus on.
JV Fire, fire, fire question! And right off the bat, the first thing I would say is look at case studies. Look at case studies of people who have done something and been successful in it, and see how you could take aspects of that, and put that into your own project. I think my project was cool, and it was original, but I've taken inspiration from many people's projects, and it can be even the smallest thing, like how they run the discord, how they created momentum, what type of utility they use, and why they use it.
It's just the little things that you look to these case studies for inspiration. That can help you tremendously. And specifically, if you're in the music NFT space, look at the PFP (profile picture) space. Look at what they're doing. Look at their roadmaps. Because their sense of direction, their sense of building a vision & a world, is way more advanced, whether people like to admit it or not.
Which kind of leads in to my second piece of advice. When you're looking at these case studies, don't let them box you into thinking that that's the only way you can really accomplish things. Because the thing is, we can look at these case studies for inspiration, and even looking at the Music NFTs, we look at other people who've been successful in the space, and we try mirroring them to a point where it's like, "Yo, are we really breaking barriers? Are we really accomplishing things? Are we really doing anything innovative."
If everyone is just looking to their left and right, and saying, "I'm gonna do the same thing because that's what's been working". We all know that's just not the way to go. It's a complete mixture of both. First looking at people who've been successful through their projects. But then also being like, "Yo, I have this crazy idea that no one has done before. But I'm gonna use the tactics they've used to get to where I want to be and to achieve my level of success". This is what I would say.
JV Also, one more thing that I want to say, is that people need to start thinking more in the long term, like I mentioned before. All of us. Because human nature is to get that short term satisfaction, short term gain, that "sell out". But it's like, okay, you have your NFC project, how can this be sustainable for not only the next year, but the year after that? How can we create longevity within our projects? And dropping a one on one, that might sell, and then going right to the next one, that's not sustainable. Eventually you're gonna get burned out. Eventually you're just gonna be on a rabbit chase, trying to catch new collectors.
Ask yourself how you can create an ecosystem for yourself that is efficient, that will last you years to come. Because this technology is going to be here for years and years and years, and we need to start thinking like that.
A4A That is such an amazingly good point. Because if you just constantly show up, and maybe you've built community right? But then all you're doing is shilling the next project next week, and a shilling the next project the next week, and a shilling the next project... eventually your community's gonna get burned out, they're gonna feel used, and they won't want to stick around. You're going to start losing people. You may keep your core family, but you're going to lose a lot of those people that feel like you're just using them for their money, for lack of a better term, right? I love the idea that you maintain long term focus and deliver something up front that has so much value that it can last forever?
JV When I look at the violet token, I did not shill that project one time. I was never in any "shill your project" space, ever. Well maybe one time just to see the vibes, but I was never actively shilling my project. The only time I really explained the entire project, in full detail, was during my drop party.
A4A Yeah. I was in many spaces with you between announcement & execution, and I didn't hear you shill your project once. You asked the questions, and you talked about parts of the project, but it was never a shill. And talking about parts of the project is much more organic. I makes people feel much more a part of things, I think. Personally, I feel like you did an amazing job of that; of bringing people along for the ride with you.
Now that we're closing in on the end of the interview, I just want to use this last question as an opportunity for you to discuss your music. So first of all, I'll say it again, I think your music is absolutely amazing. So I'm gonna just do a two part close out.
One, tell everyone about the next music things that you have coming up, but just on the actual musical and artistic side, which I know you've been pulled away from with all that you're to doing build community. And then two, just freestyle it. Whatever you want to tell people. Anything you want them to know, whether it's about you, whether it's about something upcoming, whether it's about your plans, whatever that looks like.
JV Man, first of all, I appreciate you endlessly for just plugging the music at the end. Because, you know, all of this is cool. NFT's, blockchain, all of that is super dope. But it's like for me, what my actual passion is, and what I'm finally doing after this interview, is making music. You know what I'm saying? Like, the actual art behind everything is what matters the most, and that's what I've been doing for like six years, is just making a song every single day.
Now, looking at this Web3, there is another avenue as to how I can grow my music. Because that's what it really is, it's another tool in the toolbox. I am very, very curious to see how someone can leverage Web3 success into the Web2 space. What I really want to see is how we can start to gain this community in Web3 and transfer that over to Web2, and there's many ways you can do that.
Even right now a lot of people that I'm connecting with through Twitter Spaces, through DMs, and through Discord, are pouring over to my Instagram. They're connecting to my TikTok. It's to a point where, if you look at my Instagram comments now, a majority of the people commenting, probably like 55%, are people that I've connected with through Web3; which in turn is helping me with the algorithms. It's helping me reach more people through these platforms that I was kind of getting swept under the algorithm before.
Not only that, I'm starting to get collaborations that I never would have landed in Web2 alone if I was only on Instagram, you know? I'm starting to get collaborations with people who are, one, dope, but two, also have this crazy ability to grow as an artist in Web2. Now I have the opportunity to work with them, because I'm able to leverage my Web3 success. So I'm very curious to see how this all pans out.
I don't want to be just a "Web3 Artists". I want to be an "Artist" at the end of the day. I want to start selling out arenas in the future, because that is the dream. That is a dream for all artists to sell out arenas. I want to sell out an arena and say in future interviews, "Look, I used this Web3 technology to my advantage, to leverage it for the masses..."
A4A I have a feeling the artist known as Jadyn Violet is going to achieve all of his dreams...
Thanks for reading! Catch you on our next one - ADAM 4 Artists.